30 Rock

30 Rock is a comedy show that airs weekly on nbc. The show is named after the NBC studio at the GE building at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. 30 Rock follows the lives of employees and actors on a live sketch comedy series, known as TGS, with Tracy Jordan (played by actor Tracy Morgan) as the host. What I love most about 30 Rock is the way it pokes fun at the business or corporate side of television and television shows themselves. One of the characters, Jenna Maroney, plays the stereotypical self-adulating yet self-conscious blonde bombshell B-lister trying to make her way up in the ranks. In one episode, she dates actor James Franco as a joint effort by both of their PRs to advance their carriers. She ends up falling for him while he ends up having a bizarre obsession with a female blow-up doll. In general, the portrayal of the actor as kooky and checked out and the complete falsity that was their relationship shines light on how many celebrity relationships probably start this way. It was mentioned in class that in gossip magazines celebrity representatives plant stories in order to increase their clients' fame and brand name. The magazines spin it as if they are digging up the scoop for the public's benefit, when in reality they are probably being given the scoop and asked to spin it in a very particular way. All the little webs between the media and celebrities are hard to sort out, but 30 Rock sheds some hysterical light on them.

Another revealing character in the show is Jack Donaghy, played by Alec Baldwin, who represents a Republican media executive. I wish I could say who he's mimicking on the show or who his character is based on, but I'm not sure. Since the show is by NBC its very possible he's poking fun of Roger Ailes or another rival of NBC's on Fox. Donaghy is a conservative and self-centered womanizer who spends most of his time chasing down new conquests or creating problems for the TGS show. On one of my favorite episodes he starts secretly dating a Democratic politician/lawyer (her title is obscure), who is suing the parent company of TGS, GE, and ends up settling the court case in order to go public with her relationship. Donaghy takes her into the lunchroom of the hoity toity executives of the television show, and announces to them that he is dating a Democrat. This revelation encourages others to spill secrets. There are a few "I donate to NPR every year"s and "My children go to public school,"s with each revelation followed by gasps. At the end an old man stands up and declares "I killed my wife." The whole scene is ridiculous, but artfully ridicules the way the Republican board members were so quick to share with the group, as if they were part of a cult following of sorts, and how each one hides behind a veil of money and appearances. The murdering Republican pokes fun at the apparent ridiculousness of big corporations or in NBC's opinion the right-wing big businesses, in that a murderous man is able to maintain a high position in the company and goes undetected or ignored.

Below is a video in which Jack Donaghy's assistant, "reveals" information about Donaghy. My favorite secrets are, "Mr. Donaghy can control all of New York City's traffic lights," and "Mr Donaghy once put together investors to purchase Canada, but the UN got in the way." All of these secrets are revealed by an over-the top portrayal of a homosexual assistant who reveres the man who apparently fired Donald Trump and inspired the Indiana Jones movies.

While the video is ridiculous, it makes me wonder how much of our daily lives are controlled by high powered executives such as Jack Donaghy. I know we are exposed to an almost innumerable amount of advertisements every day, yet what else is controlled by these huge corporations, such as GE, who are linked directly to the media. 30 Rock places power into the hands of the executives, when in reality money probably holds the most control. Can companies use their funds to control things like traffic lights in real life? Could they make a traffic light by a huge billboard of their company's product last longer? Of course they couldn't just press a button and cause a redlight, as in the video, but could they hypothetically buy themselves into this aspect of government? Corporations are legally forbidden from ingratiating themselves with or bribing officials, but are they able to make legal "donations" with certain stipulations, to government run programs? We know that government acts as part of a filter (sourcing) on the media, but do big corporations who control media systems, such as GE, also act as a filter in the government? Republican politicians certainly work to please big business as they have the power to influence a politician's popularity, through the media, but does their money work to influence government systems too rather than just individual government officials?

As a last thought, I'd be interested to know how many large American companies, such as GE, are Republican (run by Republicans) and how many are Democratic. Since Republicans more ardently support big business and the preservation of the wealthy's wealth, I would imagine the percentage errs on the Republican side, but I'd be interested to know the actual numbers (if they're available). A little Googling might elicit the figures.

As a second last thought, below is a video in which Donaghy's assistant states, "Mr. Donaghy is the reason Glenn Beck is always crying." This jab by NBC at Fox stood out, and even though I had seen this video before, I didn't understand its significance until taking media studies. I've realized that I now dissect the television I watch, as I know more of the personalities and I know the names of people being made fun of. I'm sure there are dozens of jabs like these at Fox personnel in 30 Rock, but I never realized them. The humor in these shows is much more appreciable now.

Ombama

Athletic clothes have become an important extension of fashion. With the coming of new fancy workouts such as pilates and spinning, and the popularization of ancient exercises such as yoga, clothing has transitioned into an important part of an athlete's identity. Companies such as Nike and Under Armour have capitalized on intensity and hard work, while companies like lululemon athletica have appealed to a new demographic, women who strive for peace, serenity, and self-acceptance. Lululemon markets itself as an integral part of a woman's quest for health and beauty. Instead of creating intense advertisements in which people run marathons and scale mountains, they've advertised with pictures of yoga and peaceful settings. Recently, Lululemon has sparked controversy with their use of Obama references in advertising. Below is an ad they used to link their messages with those of Obama, released in

the January 2009 version of the Yoga Journal. According to www.yogadork.com, a blog written by a yoga aficionado, Lululemon wrote in response to the article that "yoga brings about transformation and change, just as a new president does." In general, the anti-lululemon sentiments that have been found on blogs such as these, seem to stem from a hatred of the overpriced store rather than a disgust with the ad. However, I'm quite surprised by the ad and its daring portrayal of our president. While yoga does indeed bring about changes, how can one compare yoga to Obama, and what was the pretext behind using Obama as part of a campaign for change. Why did they really use him? It seemed like the company was trying to capitalize directly on the nation's excitement about Obama's election, rather that actually promote change. In fact, Lululemon seemed to have no cause in mind when they made these ads. Had they been raising money for something, the ads would have been, in my opinion, in better taste. At the same time, are names and images of politicians public domain? Is it perfectly reasonable for companies to use a politicians visage to create stir or attract attention. What about another type of celebrity? It would certainly cost them a lot less to draw a picture of someone, rather than hire them to endorse a product.

All this makes me wonder what types of regulations are placed on celebrity names and images. I know a company can't falsely claim that someone said something they didn't, but can they use anyone's face or make a play on anyone's name, such as Ombama. The ad was creative, but what hoops did Lululemon have to jump through to produce it? Were there any legal obstacles, and if so how were they overcome? I was unable to find any Obama comments on the advertisements, but I wonder what his response, if he found out, was. Is it possible that his PR contacted that of Lululemon or vice versa and worked out some kind of deal to advance both brands. Obama's name is a brand of sorts and Lululemon certainly is. I'm sure people would be angry if Obama endorsed a fancy brand directly, and he has to tread very carefully when dealing with companies and products that have reputations. He certainly can't expressly support a company but if he subtly endorsed Lululemon he would be called an elitist. People would jump down his throat about endorsing "hippies" and "yoga." They'd say he was being too passive, too relaxed. Is this type of ad the kind that Obama's representatives would encourage, as it can not be linked directly to Obama, or did they have no knowledge of it. It would be impossible to find these answers, but it makes me think about all the connections politics and advertising have and how every product surrounding me in my room right now probably has connections to people or places I could never imagine.

Also, how will the relationship between politicians and companies change now that the Supreme Court has sanctioned unlimited corporate spending on political campaigns? Will corporations work to brand politicians even more? They will have a disgusting amount of power to influence a candidate's actions and their advertising presented to the public. Will we start seeing candidates running as "Bank of America candidate NAME..." or will posters of politicians be marked with advertisements. Will politicians even be forced by big corporate spenders to wear clothing endorsing that particular contributing company? I'm looking forward to the start of the next elections campaigning as it will shed light on the cultural and physical manifestations of this Supreme Court case. It will be interesting to see what types of companies will endorse politicians, and how many advertisements similar to the Ombama one will crop up.

Geeks

The wave of technology that has defined the past decade has lead to an increasing gap between civilians and the makers of new technologies. With technologies in the past, troubleshooting occurred over a telephone or a book such as "Windows 7 for Dummies (http://www.dummiesbooks.net/)." Now, we rely on others to fix problems with have with technologies and completely forgo learning how to work our technologies or fix them if broken. Apple company has their Genius Bar, and sells a special package that allows for unlimited meetings with the geniuses. The meeting can address computers, itunes, ipods, iphones, and anything and everything in between. A whole new market has emerged, selling themselves as intermediaries between busy, hard-working Americans who have no time to deal with broken things, and the sneaky little buggers who work in the oh-so-distant and enigmatic production of technology. A particularly interesting company is the Geek Squad, which markets itself very well. The Geek Squad has commercials similar to those for pest control companies, basing their services on rapid responses and complete expertise.

Geek squad cars or "Geek Mobiles" such as the one above are replete in Massachusetts suburbs, and my family has been known to have had a Geek Squad Car or two parked in the drive. Actually, more often than not we have hired people from Geek Housecalls, a similar service to the Geek Squad based exclusively in New England. While Geek Housecalls has not gone out of business, it hardly has the reputation of the Geek Squad. Also, the Geek Squad is run out of Best Buy, one of the biggest destinations for technology, whereas Geek Housecalls operates independently. The Geek Housecalls business has a bit of a cult following in Massachusetts, as it gives off the vibe of being friendly and family-oriented. It's website is very simple compared to that of the Geek Squad. The website can be found at http://geekhousecalls.reachlocal.com/coupon/?scid=669421&cid=484254&tc=10020315521738467&rl_key=1eeda8dd13c0223090491a1ddcfbff3e&kw=5276100&dynamic_proxy=1&primary_serv=geekhousecalls.reachlocal.net&se_refer=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.google.com%252Fsearch%253Fclient%253Dsafari%2526rls%253Den%2526q%253Dgeek%252Bhousecalls%2526ie%253DUTF-8%2526oe%253DUTF-8. sdf

What's so funny about the whole business is the emphasis it has placed on the word geek. If a "private computer installer, programer, and troubleshooter" came to your house, rather than a Geek from the Geek Squad, you might feel like you'd been ripped off. Having a Geek come to your house is almost an experience in it of itself. Our "Geek," an MIT student who worked through Geek Housecalls, came frequently to the Heher residence of four impatient pre-teens and teens, and when offered, beer, wine, water or another drink, asked for milk. Whether or not he really liked milk or had been told to ask for this my his employers, it caused my Mom to whisper not so inconspicuously to my dad that he seemed so responsible and honest. I'm sure there are some pretty awful lawbreakers and other "bad" people out there who like milk, but in my Mother's eyes asking for milk was like taking a pledge to uphold family as a value above all others. What's also funny is how the Geek Housecalls website operates as a sort of vending machine system. The language on the site makes it seem like there's a person from up above who organizes the Geeks, and dispenses them to customer's house. This body seems to consist of Average Joes, who really understand the plight of dealing with technology problems. They use language such as "Helping you with computer stuff. That's our specialty!" The language is simple and easy to understand, nothing like the computer language people imagine MIT grads and Geek Squaders would use.

The Geek Squads own website is extremely fancy, and functions as a well oiled machine. They put a lot of emphasis on the availability of Geeks, and there's an online support module that shows a picture, reminiscent of a logo from an AOL instant messenger user, and a connect now button. Apparently, Cory W. is online right now, has received five stars, and is ready to help me with whatever computer problem I have. The site also has downloadable videos showing technological support, and an entire page devoted to "gaming." In this day and age video games have become so important that apparently it's worth it to pay someone to fix a glitch in a video game system. The Geeks have covered all the technological bases, while maintaining a very sharp and specific image. They refer to themselves as "agents," who work out of "precincts" at Best Buy. They have special titles such as on-site Double Agents and Deputies of Counter Intelligence. They wear short sleeve button downs and clip on, modern, thin ties and police style badges. Geek Squad workers who install home theaters wear shirts that look something like that of a stereotypical repair man. This dual image makes the Geek Squad seem like a luxury, something that is a modern commodity in Suburbia, yet places emphasis on the connection with the working class. They've extended their demographic from the wealthy CEO types who need help setting up home theaters or fancy computer systems and also appeal to those of us who might not have time to deal with technology. The "Housecalls" aspect conjures images (at least in my mind) of doctors and midwives visiting sick patients at their homes in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. I have this probably historically inaccurate image of friendly, helpful doctors rushing to the bedsides of fatally ill-patients, leaches and useless herbal remedies in hand. The Geeks seem to operate as a similar body, always at the ready to help. My family has grown quite attached to Mike from Geek Housecalls, and even after he left the company and worked independently, we still hired him to help out with the many computers in our household. He is a genuinely nice guy who works hard and never charges for overtime work, and when he moved last year to be married in Alabama, he left us with his new email address in case we had any questions that could be answered from afar. The image of him arriving in his Geek car, with a lanyard filled with flash drives on his belt and a big gym bag filled with computer bits and pieces, will always stick in my mind, but now I primarily recall his genuineness.

Even though companies such as the Geek Squad are using advertising to track us down and target us, like all the other products out there, I will always think highly of them. Maybe they only hire wholesome milk lovers like Mike, in order to maintain a friendly family-oriented image, but I've really been helped by Mike. I could have spent time perusing a Computers for Dummies book, but it would have taken me four days to learn how to turn on the Mac I got last year. It took Mike 20 minutes to register it, install Word, and transfer over all my itunes files. I now have a fancy "Virtual Machine" which allows me to view my old pc's hardrive on my Mac. When I open the program all I see is the old desktop of my HP and I have access to all my old files. The Geek Squad company is another fascinating extension of the media, and I wonder what relationship these style companies have to media companies or computer companies. Do CBS, NBC, FOX or CNN have any kind of relationship to these companies. Even though these networks don't sell technological products, they sell images, and the sale and troubleshooting of fancy televisions relates to their business. With all the connections the media world has, it seems impossible that the Geek Squad doesn't receive funding or some kind of influence from the media gods up above. I tried to do some digging and find out what networks or cable channels the Geek Squad Commercials air on, but I couldn't find much information. Also, the Geek Squad was started in 1994, a time when ipods didn't even exist. How has the Geek Squad changed over time? How have the demographics they target shifted, and how has the way they market themselves changed? Now that "Geeks," are cool and in-style, has further emphasis been placed on the word. Could we even go as far to say that Geek carries a brand now? Geeksquad?

Above is one of the first Geek Squad commercials, and below is one released three months later (March compared to June). What has changed about the advertisements? In the first one the cars were being parachuted in, but in the second the Geeks used jet-packs. What does this say about our ideas of technology now?

This is a recent commercial. What does this say about technology and family values?